Page 297 - DMGT402_MANAGEMENT_PRACTICES_AND_ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAVIOUR

Management Practices and Organisational Behaviour Amit Kumar Sharma, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 14: Conflict Management

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
14.1 Definition of Conflict
14.2 Sources of Organisational Conflict
14.3 Levels of Conflict or Forms of Conflict
14.4 Causes of Conflict

14.5 Changing View of Conflict
14.6 Resolving Conflicts
14.7 Negotiation
14.8 Summary
14.9 Keywords
14.10 Self Assessment
14.11 Review Questions

14.12 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
State the consequences/outcomes of conflict
Discuss different forms and levels of conflict

Identify sources and causes of conflict in organisations
Explain the stages of conflict
Explain techniques for managing conflict

Discuss the steps in an effective negotiating process
Introduction

All of us have experienced conflict of various types, yet we probably fail to recognize the variety
of conflicts that occur in organisations. Conflict can be a serious problem in any organisation. A
better understanding of the important areas of conflict will help managers to use the people in
the organisation more effectively to reach the organisation's objectives. Failure to be concerned
about conflict is very costly, since ignoring it will almost guarantee that work and interpersonal
relations will deteriorate.

14.1 Definition of Conflict

One of the problems in organisational conflict is that the term has been defined in many different
ways by academics and managers. But despite the divergent meanings the term has acquired,
several common themes underlie most definitions. A few definitions are reproduced below:

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